VQA Annual General Meeting: Constitutional Amendments

The following amendments to the constitution have been submitted to the Victorian Quidditch Association and will be voted upon at the Annual General Meeting this Saturday the 11th of March at 10am in the Blue Room at the Melbourne Multicultural Hub, 506 Elizabeth St, Melbourne.

Change 1

Addition to rule 5 (definitions):

Club: A group of players forming a team or teams that is governed by a single executive body

Team: A group of members of an affiliated club who identify as a team for the purpose of playing together in VQA Victoria Cup.

Intent: With the implementation of multiple teams per Quidditch club, the terms club and team can no longer be used interchangeably and as such must be defined for constitutional purposes and for creating rules to the Victoria Cup.

Reference: Submission 1

Change 2

Italicise all instances of terms found within the constitution that are defined in Rule 5, with exception of terms found in the bolded names of rules.

Intent: This change does not change the execution or schedules of the constitution. It only changes the way special terms are displayed to make their specificity more salient. Bolded terms remain as they are. Terms in regular font become italicised to show that they have a special meaning.

Reference: Submission 2

Change 3

Addition of section 10. Term of Membership. Renumber all subsequent and affected sections.

Term of MembershipUnless otherwise stated, a member’s term of membership extends from approval by the Committee under rule 12(1) until the end of the financial year.

Intent: Insert the above rule immediately after Rule 9, and re-number all following rules accordingly. The constitution has no clearly defined natural expiration date for membership. Save for Rule 19, members remain members forever (albeit suspended) unless they are expelled or die.

Reference: Submission 2

Change 4

Rewriting of rule 16:

Rule currently reads:

16 Affiliate members

(1) Affiliate membership shall be open to quidditch teams or clubs within the state of Victoria

(2) Affiliate members shall appoint a Team Representative to represent the team/club and hold a voting position at committee meetings.

(3) An associate member must not vote but may have other rights as determined by the Committee or by resolution at a general meeting.

New rule will read:

16 Affiliate members

(1) Affiliate membership shall be open to quidditch clubs within the state of

Victoria

(2) Affiliate members shall appoint a Club Representative to represent their club

and hold a voting position at committee meetings.

(3) An associate member must not vote but may have other rights as determined by the Committee or by resolution at a general meeting.

Reference: Submission 1

Change 5

Removal of (3) in 16 Affiliate members

(3) An Affiliate member must not vote but may have other rights as determined by the Committee or by resolution at a general meeting.

Intent: Rule 16.3 uses the wrong term. It is a copy of Rule 15.2, and applies Associate Members, but not Affiliate Members.

Reference: Submission 2

Change 6

Resigning as a member

(2) A member is taken to have resigned if –

Intent: Correcting a grammatical error.

Reference: Submission 2

Change 7

Addition of Honorary Life Membership to the constitution. Renumber all subsequent and affected sections.

21 Honorary Membership

(1) Honorary life membership of the association may be conferred by the affirmative votes of at least 2/3 of the voting members at a General Meeting, on a person who has made a substantial contribution to the club.

(2) Honorary life members of the association who are eligible for ordinary membership shall have all the rights of ordinary members.

(3) Honorary life members of the association who are ineligible for ordinary membership shall have all the rights of associate members.

Intent: Addition of life membership for to the section of members and renumber all subsequent sections

Reference: Submission 3

Change 8

Addition of 36. Notices of motion. Renumber all subsequent and affected sections.

Notices of motion

A call for submissions for motions must be made to Members entitled to vote under Rule 14(1) by the Secretary no less than sixty (60) days prior to a general meeting except in the case of a special general meeting convened under rule 34(3).

Intent: Insert the above rule immediately after Rule 35, and re-number all following rules accordingly. Rule 35.2 states that all motions to be passed by Special Resolution must be included in full with the notice to all Members entitled to vote. Sixty days is the period used in the Quidditch Australia constitution – a change that passed with the help of members of the Victorian Quidditch Association.

Reference: Submission 2

Change 9

Changes to Composition of Committee to combine the positions of Head of Events and Head of Fundraising and Sponsorship. Section 54 changes to include fundraising duties in the Head of Events position and section 57 is removed. Renumber all subsequent and affected sections.

46 Composition of Committee

The Committee consists of –

a) a President; and

b) a Vice-President; and

c) a Secretary; and

d) a Treasurer; and

e) a Head of Officials; and

f) a Head of Gameplay;

g) a Head of Events and Fundraising; and

h) a Head of IT; and

i) a Head of Media; and

j) a Head of Fundraising and Sponsorship; and

k) one Team Representatives per affiliate member

54 Head of Events Head of Events and Fundraising

(1) The duties of the Head of Events shall include to –

a) attend committee meetings and General meetings;

b) plan and run events such as ‘Come and Try’ days, conventions and social gatherings;

c) recruit, train, organise and develop volunteers to assist in the Association’s events and fundraising;

d) work with the Head of Media and Head of IT to promote upcoming events and fundraising opportunities;

e) organise supplementary merchandise for sale at events;

f) explore alternate merchandise and fundraising options;

g) actively raise money to financially support the Association;

e)h)submit an Annual Report; and

f)i) perform other duties as the Committee may resolve.

57 Head of Fundraising and Sponsorship

(1) The duties of the Head of Officials shall include to –

a) actively raise money to financially support the Association;

b) explore various avenues of sponsorship or donations to the

Association;

c) liaise with the Head of Events to organise supplementary merchandise for sale at events;

d) explore alternate merchandise and fundraising options;

e) submit an Annual Report; and

f) perform other duties as the Committee may resolve

Intent: In the past there has been a struggle to fill both of these positions, with both being casual vacancies throughout 2016. These positions share significant overlap, and therefore should be combined into the duties of the Head of Events.

Reference: Submission 3

Change 10

Amendment to rule 46(k):

Rule currently reads:

(k) one Team Representatives per affiliate member

New rule will read:

(k) one Club Representative per affiliate member

Reference: Submission 1

Change 11

Amendment to rule 61:

Rule currently reads:

61 Election of Team Representatives

(1) Each Affiliate Member shall appoint/elect one Team Representative who shall hold a vote on the Committee.

(2) A person may not concurrently hold the position of Team Representative and any of the positions in Rule 46a) to 46j) inclusive

New rule will read:

61 Election of Club Representatives

(1) Each Affiliate Member shall appoint/elect one Club Representative who shall hold one vote for each of the club’s teams on the Committee.

(2) A person may not concurrently hold the position of Club Representative and any of the positions in Rule 46a) to 46j) inclusive

Intent: Use of club rather than team under the changes proposed to Rule 5 Definitions

(1) At any given point, the VQA executive may appoint individuals to voluntary staff positions at their discretion with the consultation with the committee. Staff members are subject to all relevant policies under Division 3 – Election of Committee Members and tenure of office with an exemption made to sections 59, 60, 61, 62 and 63.

(2) Staff members do not hold a vote on the committee.

Intent: Allow the committee and executive to hire voluntary staff as members of the VQA admin to fulfil roles such as equipment manager and occupational health and safety officer. This addition of the constitution aims to protect these individuals as well as the association.

Any member of the VQA may allocate another individual to vote on their behalf as their proxy. Notice of this allocation of a proxy vote, stating the full name of your proxy and granting your permission for them to vote on your behalf, must be emailed to the VQA at team@quidditchvictoria.com by 10am Friday, 10th March, for the nomination to be accepted. Each individual present at the meeting may not hold more than one proxy vote.